1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an automatic system for use in the feeding of farm animals, and more specifically to a structure adapted for controllable feeding of wet, ground corn and the like. Specifically, the invention relates to an automatically controlled, chain driven mechanism for optimally distributing in time and location, feedstuffs of a wide range to hogs, the apparatus having adjustable means for optimally releasing the feed into the feeding area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, numerous types of apparatus and systems have been used for the unattended feeding of farm animals. With particular reference to hog feeders, however, provision must be made to minimize possible damage of the feeding structure by the hogs, and possible injury to the hogs themselves. The prior art devices have had inherent drawbacks in the feeding of wet feed material such as wet, ground corn, since this material has a tendency to jam up in the feeding apparatus and otherwise causes dissemination problems of trough distribution of the feed.
Wet feed of the nature referred to has a tendency to spoil within a rather short period of time, by molding or the like, and therefore it is not desirable to maintain substantial quantities in storage. Care must also be taken to insure that the material is controllably fed into a feed trough in a manner to prevent jamming-up of the feed, damage to the mechanism and, at the same time, insure that the feed will be readily accessible to a hog and that feed introduced into the feed trough will be timely and substantially completely eaten over a controlled period of time.
Numerous different types of animal feed apparatus and systems have been used over the years, but none have proven entirely satisfactory. Actually, the existing patent and published material concerning apparatus for feeding of hogs is somewhat limited. One prior art apparatus specifically pertaining to automatic feeding of hogs is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,025,832 to Witzenburg. Basically, this patent utilizes an auger mechanism to advance the feed from a supply hopper along a single, straight line feed trough. In this apparatus, the auger is spaced approximately four inches off the bottom of the feed trough and two inches in from the side. This permits feed to get packed in, and prevents its availability to the hogs. In order to overcome this problem, and as used in other known prior art devices, agitation means must be provided in the feed carrying areas, operable either by the feeding hogs, or by mechanical agitation means. There are other types of hog feeders currently in use, but the ones known to the present applicant all include at least one form of agitation and, in some certain instances, a plurality of agitation means.
Similarly configured feeding devices are also known for use with farm animals other than hogs. Generally speaking, however, these feeders for other animals are not presented with the same problems as hog feeders, these latter feeders being subject to substantial damage by hogs in use, and normally requiring extremely heavy and braced structures.
Among the other known types of related feeders, an automatic poultry feeder is disclosed in a publication by the Pennsylvania State School of Agriculture, "Penn State Automatic Poultry Feeder", A. S. Mowery, et al., Progress Report No. 17, October, 1949. This discloses an automatic poultry feeder laid out in the form of an open rectangle and using chain-carried paddles, referred to therein as flights (to provide feed to the chickens). The report also suggests the use of automatic timing mechanisms to periodically energize the feeder mechanisms, and the construction utilizes a U-shaped feeding trough and chain-driven distributing paddles.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,319,607 to Lovercheck and U.S. Pat. No. 2,652,808 to Wagner both disclose the use of chain-driven paddle-like structures to distribute feed to animals. The paddles of both Lovercheck and Wagner scrape along the bottom of the trough to advance the feed. In each of these patents, however, the chains used are not maintained completely from the feed path, nor are they completely protected by a cover element.
Other apparatus used for related continuous animal feeding mechanisms have utilized chain devices to move feed along conveyors, and timing means are also known. Examples of these techniques are found in patents to Dodge, U.S. Pat. No. 365,171; Emrich, U.S. Pat. No. 3,058,571; and Ripstein, U.S. Pat. No. 3,786,783.
Prior to the present invention, however, there has not been an entirely satisfactory hog feeding mechanism which incorporates a jam-free distributing mechanism, has a properly controllable discharge of problem-prone feeds into a feeding trough, and which is cost effective and robust enough for use with farm animals such as hogs.